Mental Health Services Use Among Medical Students: Perceived Stigma and Barriers to Care

Rodriguez, Mikaela L.; Corse, Andrew K; Rosen, Lee

doi:10.1007/s40670-017-0392-6

Cited by 15 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Factors that may impede medical student help-seeking in the context of mental health include perceived stigmatisation of mental illness amongst their student bodies (Chew-Graham et al, 2003;Pascucci et al, 2016). Indeed, medical students report that they are likely to avoid or delay help-seeking and not disclose their own history of mental illness over concerns about perceived competence (Rodriguez et al, 2017). However, it remains unclear whether this is mediated by lack of knowledge (Kutcher et al, 2016) or social contact with others with mental illness (Knaak et al, 2014), which may lead to misunderstandings surrounding mental health, and reinforcement of stigma and avoidance behaviour.…”

Section: Mental Health In Medical Studentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating mental health literacy in medical students in the United Kingdom

Hearn

Marwood

2019

JMHTEP

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Purpose There is urgent need to explore medical students’ understandings of mental illness to better support this high-risk group. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate mental health literacy in medical students using the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS), and provide validation of the measure. Design/methodology/approach In total, 251 participants were recruited from medical schools across the UK. Participants completed demographic details and the MHLS. This paper reports total MHLS scores and their relationships with demographics and experiences with mental illness. Findings The mean MHLS score was 127.69. MHL was significantly higher in females, and students in later years of study (p<0.05). Over 40 per cent of respondents reported having personal experience of mental illness. This, as well as having a close friend or family member with a mental illness, was associated with higher MHL (p<0.05). Originality/value This study is the first to use the MHLS and provide validation of this measure in medical students. Despite high rates of personal experience with mental health issues, medical students’ average MHLS scores were comparable to studies of non-medical student groups. Medical schools should aim to build students’ confidence in recognising and seeking help for mental health issues from the first year of medical training. MHL is a multi-faceted issue; further work is required to improve awareness of risk factors, to better understand why males demonstrate poorer MHL scores than females, and to work towards improving MHL in males.

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Section: Mental Health In Medical Studentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating mental health literacy in medical students in the United Kingdom

Hearn

Marwood

2019

JMHTEP

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“…Class years, family history of mental illness, and substance use are also reported as predictors to receive mental health care. For instance, first and fourth-years students are less likely to use mental health services compared with second and third-years students [43], although there is no change based on rural-urban backgrounds [44]. However, students who had personal contact with someone with a history of mental illness were significantly associated with decreased help-seeking intention; this could be possibly due to the negative experiences students had with a person who they know to have a mental illness [45].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental distress, perceived need, and barriers to receive professional mental health care among university students in Ethiopia

et al. 2020

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Background: There is limited evidence on the extent of the perceived need and barriers to professional mental health service delivery to university students with mental distress in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study was designed to assess the prevalence of mental distress, perceived need for professional mental health care and barriers to the delivery of services to affected undergraduate university students in Ethiopia. Methods: A multi-stage sampling technique was used to recruit 1135 undergraduate university students. Symptoms of mental distress were evaluated using the Self-Reported Questionnaire (SRQ-20) and a score of above seven was used to identify positive cases. The perceived need for professional mental health care was assessed using a single 'yes or no' response item and barriers to mental health care were assessed using Barriers to Access to Care Evaluation (BACE-30) tool. Percentage, frequency, mean, and standard deviation were employed to summarize demographic characteristics of the participants and to identify common barriers to mental health care service. Moreover, the association of demographic variables with total mean scores of BACE-III sub-scales was modeled using multiple linear regression. Results: The prevalence of mental distress symptoms was 34.6% and the perceived need for professional mental health care was 70.5% of those with mental distress. The top five barriers to receiving professional mental health service were (a) thinking the problem would get better with no intervention, (b) being unsure where to go to get professional help, (c) wanting to solve the problem without intervention, (d) denying a mental health problem existed, and (e) preferring to get alternative forms of mental care. Coming from a rural background, being a second and fourthyear student, and a family history of mental illness were significantly associated with barriers to receive professional mental health service. Conclusion: The high prevalence of mental distress, the paucity of mental health care, and the report of barriers to access what professional mental health care there is among Ethiopian undergraduate students is a call to address the disparity.

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“…Physician trainees who experience burnout are significantly more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation [3]. Despite high rates of mental illness among this community, physicians and physician trainees continue to suffer in silence [4]. Lack of resources, support, and stigma continue to serve as barriers to mental health support among this population [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite high rates of mental illness among this community, physicians and physician trainees continue to suffer in silence [4]. Lack of resources, support, and stigma continue to serve as barriers to mental health support among this population [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attitude of Gratitude: Evaluation of a Wellness Program to Improve Dispositional Gratitude Among Medical Students

Phillips¹,

Klocksieben²

2020

JWellness

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Introduction: Medical students face significant mental health challenges as they matriculate through medical training. Research has emphasized the need for more interventions that promote physician trainee well-being and resilience during the early stages of training. Recent interventions have shown to be effective in promoting mental health and well-being; however, no interventions have examined the impact that daily gratitude practice, which is linked to increased well-being, may have on dispositional gratitude levels among medical students. Methods: In Spring 2019, medical students at the University of South Florida were invited to participate in a gratitude program. Participants logged three good things that happened to them each day, for a period of 30 days. Their dispositional gratitude levels were assessed using the short-form Gratitude Resentment and Application Test (GRAT) before and after the 30-day intervention. Participant demographics and changes in GRAT scores from baseline to follow-up were examined. Results: Forty-six medical students volunteered to participate in a short-term, gratitude-focused wellness program. Overall levels of dispositional gratitude increased significantly among medical students (p<.001). While a significant increase in GRAT score was found among the thirty-five female participants (p<.001), no significant change was found among the eleven male participants (p=.154). GRAT scores increased significantly among both first- and second-year medical students (p=.001). However, no significant increases were reported among third- and fourth-year students (p=.109). GRAT scores increased significantly regardless of whether students used a tool to practice gratitude at baseline. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that a 30-day gratitude practice program can improve dispositional gratitude among medical students, particularly among female students and pre-clinical students in years one and two.

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Mental Health Services Use Among Medical Students: Perceived Stigma and Barriers to Care

Cited by 15 publications

References 16 publications

Evaluating mental health literacy in medical students in the United Kingdom

Evaluating mental health literacy in medical students in the United Kingdom

Mental distress, perceived need, and barriers to receive professional mental health care among university students in Ethiopia

Attitude of Gratitude: Evaluation of a Wellness Program to Improve Dispositional Gratitude Among Medical Students

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